Soulmates 2: Reunion?
by Nighteyes27
Summary: Uh-oh...Kitty has a fight with a friend....


Soulmates 2: Reunion?  
  
Summary: The re-getting to know you phase.  
  
Rating: PG-13 for language.  
  
Author's Notes: This is the direct aftermath of Soulmates 1.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Rachel Summers gasped as her former best friend- 'and something more?' an insidious voice asked-keeled over in the middle of the restaurant.  
Sarai Dorvel and her boyfriend George Brossar eyed Rachel speculatively. "I suppose you two have met," Sarai said dryly.  
Rachel bent over Kitty, taking her pulse and lifting up her head. "You could say so," she muttered. Wincing in sympathy, she ran a hand lightly over the bruise on Kitty's forehead. Casting her eyes around the room, she grabbed Kitty and hauled her to her feet. 'Jesus,' she thought to herself, surprised. 'Does she ever *eat*?'  
Sarai cleared her throat. Rachel's head snapped around-for a moment there, she had forgotten that they had an audience. Lifting Kitty's left arm over her shoulder, she grabbed Kitty around the waist. Hauling her friend to her feet, she attempted to ignore the wondering (Sarai) and amused (George) looks she was getting. Blushing slightly as she realized what their little scene must look like, she cleared her throat and said gruffly, "I'm going to take Kitty to the bathroom, to try and wake her up."  
"Gonna dunk her head in a toilet?" George inquired with a faint smirk. "If so, I'll help you."  
"Ah ah ah, lover," Sarai admonished her boyfriend, snaking an arm around his waist. "Girl's room, remember."  
Sarai winked at Rachel, and Rachel inclined her head almost imperceptibly. 'Thanks, Sarai,' she thought to herself. Walking to the bathroom, she surreptitiously used her TK to lift Kitty. 'Thank God for telekinesis,' she thought amused. Then she sobered. 'Of course, if not for TK, we would never have met,' she thought. 'And that...would not be good.'  
Unwilling to delve into the very complicated feelings she held for the woman beside her, she simply hauled Pryde to the bathroom, ignoring the strange looks she garnered from the other inhabitants of the restaurant. 'Jeez, don't they have their *own* lives?' she thought grumpily, staggering awkwardly with Kitty's form (helped, of course, with a touch of telekinesis).  
Her jaw clenched. Being stared at reminded her too much of the camps, and being under constant scrutiny, lest it look as if she was going to rebel. She *hated* feeling like that. Using faint telepathy, she 'convinced' them to look away and continue talking about topics unrelated to herself and her friend. Except for George and Sarai, of course.  
Finally reaching the door, Rachel groaned as she realized she still had one final obstacle to tackle. She had to pull the door towards herself with her arms full of living, breathing woman. 'And *what* a woman she is-*bad* Phoenix!" she scolded herself. But this wasn't how she wanted Kitty to find out about her return. 'Screw subtlety,' she thought, pissed at the way the "reunion" was going. 'This wasn't how I planned it-'  
Fuming, Rachel telepathically made herself and the limp woman in her arms invisible to everyone in the restaurant that could see what she was about to do. By luck of the draw, once again, she didn't have to touch either Sarai or George's minds. Glaring at the door, she *ferociously* yanked it with her telekinesis so that it *shot* open. 'Shit!' Rachel snapped at herself. 'You *retard*, you didn't think to scan for anyone on the *other* side of the damned door!'  
However, that day must have been Rachel's lucky day, for there was no one in the bathroom.  
Groaning, Rachel, unable to come up with a better plan, resorted to George's plan and dunked Kitty's head in water. 'Sorry, kiddo.' Kitty, coming awake, naturally inhaled, choked, pulled her head out of the toilet, and promptly retched. "What the *fuck* was that for, Rachel?!" she demanded, pissed, still spluttering.  
Rachel, surprised, blinked, a little put off. The Katherine Pryde she had known had *never* cursed like that before. "God, Ray, think you coulda *warned* me?" Kitty demanded.  
Calm down, Kitty, Rachel sent via her telepathy. You fainted in front of the whole restaurant.   
Bite me, Ray! Kitty snapped right back.  
Rachel got a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. 'This isn't going well,' she thought, beginning to panic. 'Why is she so angry? What does she have to prove-or hide?' she wondered, eyes narrowing.  
Gently probing, she used a little TP to skim Kitty's thoughts and recoiled in surprise when she found a blank wall that she bounced painfully out of.  
Kitty's eyes were colder than Bobby Drake. Stay the hell *out* of my mind, Phoenix! she shot viciously at her friend.  
Immediately softening at Rachel's hurt look, she added, "I've had some bad experiences with telepaths recently, is all," she allowed. "By the way, hi."  
Rachel's eyes narrowed. "Hi back at you, and who?" she asked immediately. Kitty grinned tiredly. 'Like I'm gonna tell you, Ray. I care about you too much to know that what you'll do if I tell you who will haunt you-bring you back to your Hound days. And the Christian Hell will freeze over before I let *that* happen.' It's not important, Ray.   
So you don't trust me? Rachel sent, not even sure why she said it, only understanding that on some deep, primal level, that there was something wrong between them, and honesty was the best policy. She had to say what she felt, and that's what she felt-and she didn't really want to go into why.  
It's not that, Ray, Kitty said back. It hit her how funny they must look- 'Two women just standing a foot apart from each other, face to face, outwardly saying nothing? Oh, yeah, people will think *nothing's* happening.' It's just that I don't want you to do anything rash.   
So you *don't* trust me, Rachel sent back, keeping a tight rein on her runaway emotions. Chief among those was hurt and betrayal at Kitty's apparent disregard for her, her feelings and her self-control.  
It's *not* that, Ray, Kitty snapped back, getting annoyed despite herself. She knew what she was about to say was a mistake but she couldn't *not* say it-some things needed to be said. Besides, have you given me a *reason* to trust you?! It just slipped out, and Kitty winced as it did so-'Cheap shot, Pryde.'  
Excuse me?! Rachel couldn't believe what she was hearing. When have I ever given you a reason to *not* trust me?!   
When were you planning on telling me you were *back*?! Kitty spat. Or were you even going to? "Oh, gee, Shadowcat, well she's just a kid. She won't mind if I ignore her." Well, newsflash, Red, I'm *not* that kid anymore.   
*Prove* it then! Stop *acting* like one! Rachel challenged her friend. 'Oh, shit, what are we doing?' she thought in a moment of clarity. She reached out to Kitty. Kitty- she tried, her tone softening. Then she stiffened at the memories that Kitty threw at her.  
Kitty screaming at Britanic about Rachel. Kitty curled up with Rachel's shirt, crying. Later, (and Ray couldn't help but feel jealous), she saw her and Pete Wisdom-TOGETHER?! What? Rachel gasped at the last image.  
So you left me high and dry, *Phoenix*, after all that? Kitty hissed, angry and hurting now. It wasn't like that- Rachel tried to intercede. Stuff it up your *ass*, Phoenix! Kitty snapped.  
Excuse me? Rachel was almost supernaturally calm. Kitty sneered, anger-not even at Rachel, just suppressed feelings-taking hold over her senses. She didn't see Rachel stiffen or her face go blank. If she had, she would have known to stop her tirade. You *never* respected me, you *always* got the men I wanted! It wasn't *my* fault! Suuure, Ray! Kitty sent back.  
Kitty didn't mean it, of course. But it seemed to be the easiest way to hurt Rachel, and she wasn't in the mood to be tolerant or think about the consequences.  
'This is one of those fights,' Rachel realized in a moment of stunned hurt. 'One of those things that start out small, then end up with you becoming furious, yelling that you hate each other.'  
And ya know what, Ray? Kitty continued. I might just go and-   
SHUT UP! Rachel yelled. 'I don't need to hear any more, I can't, shut up. I don't want more fighting,' and Rachel turned on her heel to face the door.  
Kitty realized belatedly that she'd gone too far. Rachel? she questioned softly, reaching out to brush Rachel's arm.  
Rachel brushed her off. Yeah, *Shadowcat*, why don't you go *fuck* Rasputin while you're at it?! she snarled.  
Kitty froze. The blood drained from her face as the door slammed shut with the noise of finality.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Disclaimer: Kitty 'Shadowcat' Pryde, Rachel 'Phoenix' Summers, and all other X-related characters don't belong to me, they belong to Marvel (which is probably a good thing for them). No copyright infringement or offense intended. I'm making no money off of this. However, the plot belongs to me, as do George Brossar and Sarai Dorvel.


End file.
